NIESR comments on Bank of England’s interest rate decision

Friday 15 Jan 2016 @ 14:20
Think Tanks

Commenting on the Bank of England’s decision to keep interest rates at 0.5%, Jack Meaning, research fellow at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, said:

“This was the Monetary Policy Committee’s first meeting since the Federal Reserve raised US interest rates in December.

“Since the MPC last met, we’ve seen further sharp falls in oil prices and an increased perception of risks, especially around emerging markets, so we’re not surprised to see the MPC hold rates for an 82nd consecutive month.

“We believe that the case for a rate rise remains strong. We now think it will happen around the middle of the year, although the exact timing is complicated by the referendum on EU membership.”

Notes to editors:

For further information, please contact Jane Padgham in the NIESR press office on 020 7654 1923 or at j.padgham@niesr.ac.uk

NIESR aims to promote, through quantitative and qualitative research, a deeper understanding of the interaction of economic and social forces that affect people's lives, and the ways in which policies can improve them.

Further details of NIESR’s activities can be seen at http://www.niesr.ac.uk

Switchboard telephone number: 020 7222 7665

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